Household Products

In November 2015 the UK Government implemented a policy ban on the testing of household products on animals.

The ban was a culmination of a 2010 Coalition Government pledge to end the testing of household products and their ingredients on animals; after decades of calls for an end to this unnecessary use of animals in consumer product testing.

But not a single life was spared the day the ban came into effect.

The watered-down policy only served to ban testing finished household products on animals. The individual chemical ingredients that make up the content of those products, however, can still be legally tested on animals.

Here’s what the ban actually means:

If less than half the amount of a chemical will be used in household products, it can still be tested on animals.

Household product chemicals can still be tested on animals for regulatory purposes.

If the commissioning company gives a really good reason, the chemical can be tested on animals. But the Government will not specify what those reasons might be.

Confused? You’re not alone. In essence, household product ingredients can still be tested on animals in the United Kingdom.

What is a ‘Household Product'?

For the purposes of the policy ban, ‘finished Household Products’ are defined as:

“Household Products are those bought by the general public for use in the domestic home and garden. They include, but are not limited to, detergents, polishes and cleaning products, laundry products, household cleaners, air fresheners, toilet cleaners, descalants, deodorisers, adhesives, paints and varnishes, sealants, caulks and other decorating materials.

This definition does not apply to:

Biocides, pesticides and plant protection products;
Food contact materials, food and feeding stuffs, medical products and medical devices;
Cosmetics (as they are subjects to other restrictions on the use of animal testing);
Products intended to be used in an industrial or institutional setting or by professionals; and,
Packaging or delivery systems e.g. pump sprays etc., unless these are inherent parts of the household product.”

Again you’re not allowed to know. Section 24 protects the names of the household product companies that commission animal testing.

That means you could have a product containing ingredients recently tested on animals in your cleaning cupboard right now, but the government doesn’t believe you have a right to know about it. You are expected to trust the word of the companies that want you to buy their products, instead of being provided with objective facts.

This is why, if you want to avoid cruelly tested products, it is more important than ever to ensure you buy brands endorsed in our Compassionate Shopping Guide.

Do you believe animals deserve to be burnt, injected, cut up or poisoned for washing up liquid?

If not, please take action now to end ALL testing on animals for unnecessary household products.

Take Action

We’re campaigning to end the testing of household product ingredients on animals in the UK – for good. We’re sick of waiting for the Government to change the laws to protect animals. Where they are failing animals, we will demand change as consumers. Here’s what you can do:

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